Apparatus for lustering and finishing silk filaments.



B. POHL. APPARATUS FOR LUSTERING AND FINISHING SILK PILAMENTS.

APPLIOATID N IILED 001. 14, 1905.

Patented May 4, 1909.

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tlhl-IQTED STATE PATENT @FFTQE.

EDWARD POHL, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May a, 1909.

Application filed October 14, 1905. Serial No. 282,703.

T 0 all whom. it may concern:

it known that I, EDWARD Pour, a subjcct of the Crown of Austria, andresident of Paterson, county of Passaic, State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Lusteringand Finishing Sill; Filaments, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part thereof.

In apparatus of the class to which this invention relates, means areprovided for immersing sill-1 filaments in a bath containing a suitableliquid, and for drying and lustering the filaments by carryingthem fromthe bath over a heated surface. In practice it is found that the threadsoften carry an excess of the liquid. from the bath, that is to say, agreater amount than can be absorbed and finally retained by thefilaments. Such excess of the liquid is then apt to be deposited uponthe approach end of the heated contact surface, and as a result theheated contact surface quickly becomes fouled, whereby the threads inpassing thereover are dirtied. The result of this is a streaked product,and it may be noted that not only does a foul surface of the table dirtythe filaments as they pass over it, but the polishing is apt to beuneven and unequal so that a streaked product results not only from adirtying of the threads but also from such uneven ironing.

in a co-pcnding application which is filed. as a divisional of thepresent application, I have shown means whereby the approach end of theheated contact surface is readily removed so that it may be quicklycleaned with a minimum loss of time due to stopping the machine, and ina recent patent which was issued to me on the 26th of December, 1905,No. $08,402, an apparatus is disclosed in which a member is provided forprelimi nary contact with the threads, said member being design d toreceive the initial deposit which would otherwise be carried over to themain heated contact surface,,the said memher being in polygonalcross-section and arranged to be rotated from time to time, whereby tobring up fresh surfaces for engagemont with the threads so that theother surfaces are then free to l e cleansed by hand 5 without thenecessity of stopping the machine. t1onary during the normal operationof the In this case the said member is stamachine, but is partiallyrotated from time to time for the purposes above set forth only.

In my present invention 1 provide one or more heated contact members forthe threads, such as rollers, and in connection therewith I employ acleaning device. The members are rotated continuously during theoperation of the machine, and preferably, though not necessarily, thesaid members are rotated at a speed or in a direction whereby thesurfaces thereof move relatively with respect to the threads orfilaments as they pass thereover. The cleaning device engages thesurface of the member or members constantly and the surface of themembers also moves relatively with respect to the said cleaning device,so that the cleaning device acts constantly to clean the members fromany material which may be deposited thereon from the threads. By thismeans I so act upon the threads as to constantly and con tinuouslyremove excess material therefrom before the threads reach the stationaryheated contact surface, the device for so removing the excess materialbeing constantly cleansed so that it is always in a clean con ditionwhen acting upon the threads.

My invention also consists in certain details of construction andcombination of parts including a means, whereby the cleaning device maybe quickly removed and renewed at will, such as will more fully appearhereinafter, and in order that my invention may be thoroughlyunderstood, 1 will now proceed to describe in detail an apparatusconstituting an embodiment of my inven tion, having reference to theaccompanying drawings illustrating the same, and will then point out thenovel features inclaims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a view in p artial side elevation andpartial central vertical section of an apparatus embodying my invention.Fig. 2 is a partial top view of the same, certain parts being brokenaway in order to more fully illustrate other parts. Fig. 3 is a partialverticalsection through the device showing certain parts on a scalelargerthan is employed for Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary View in sideelevation of certain parts including the driving mechanism for therollers. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing a device employed for removablysupporting the cleaning and wiping means for the rollers. In the deviceherein illustrated a bath 1 I contains the required liquid through whichsilk filaments 2 are drawn; the filaments then pass over a sponge 3arranged in a perforated trough 4, and over a felt pad 5 suitablysupported, whereby a large portion of the superfluous liquid carried bythe filaments is returned to the bath, or suitably absorbed. A heatedabsorber 6', comprising a steam pipe 7, preferably having a large numberof fine perforations therein and suitably covered with felt 8 or otherabsorbent material, may be located at a point just beyond the bath, sothat the filaments will pass thereover, but the said absorber may bedispensed with, if preferred, and forms in any event no part of mypresent invention. Thence the filaments may pass over a flat-sidedmember 16, revolubly mounted upon trunnions 17 comprising branches fromsteam pipes 18. This member is the member above referred to as formingthe subject matter of U. S. Letters Patent No. 808,401- and ispreferably provided with a plurality of flat sides arranged at equaldistances from its axis of retation, whereby successive sides may bepresented for engagement with the filaments as desired; the said memberis hollow and steam is admitted from the pipes 18 to the interiorthereof, whereby the said. member is heated. This member may also beemployed, or not, as may be desired.

The main stationary heated contact surface may conveniently be formed asthe top of a steam table 10. This steam table is heated by means of asteam pipe comprising heaters 11 and radiating pipes 12 the steam ipes12, above referred. to, may conveniently be formed as branches betweenthe front and rear headers, as shown. Steam is admitted from a suitablesource of supply through a supply pipe 13 connecting with the frontheader, and will then discharge through any convenient outlet oroutlets. l have shown the approach end of the steam table as arranged inthe form of a separate and removable portion 15, the same being securedin position by any suitable means, and readily removable when desiredfor the purposes above set forth. This removable portion forms no partof my present invention, but is set forth in detail and claimed in aco-pending application Serial No. 436,286 filed in the Patent Office onthe 2d day of June, 1908, as a divisional of this present application.

Just in advance of the approach end of the table I have rovided aplurality of rollers 20. These ro lers are arranged with their uppersurfaces in a plane with the said stationary heating contact surface,whereby the threads may pass thereover, and in contact therewith, inpassing to the said heated contact surface. It may be here noted that asuitable take-up means is always provided in this class of apparatus atthe opposite end of the steam table, by which the threads are drawn fromthe bath and over the steam table. These rollers are themselves heatedby suitable means, as for instance, by a branch connection. 21 with oneof the steam pipes 18, the steam passing from such branch connectioninto the first roller, and then around. an elbow 22 through successiverollers (the said. rollers being hollow) until it is finally exhaustedthrough the last roller 23. Suitable means is provided for rotating therollers, such means here shown as comprising worm wheels 24 upon therollers, and a worm wheel 2-5 with which the worm wheels are inengagement, the said worm being driven by means of miter gearing 26 anda sprocket connection 27. Preferably the rollers are drivendifferentially with respect to the threads passing thereover, that is tosay, the surfaces of the rollers in contact with the threads will moverelatively with respect to the said threads. This relative movement maybe produced by moving the rollers in the same direction as the threads,but at a different rate of speed than that at which the threads travel,or the said rollers may be moved. in a direction opposite to thedirection of movement of the threads. By means of this relative movementthe excess of liquid which is carried by the threads is more thoroughlyremoved from the threads, and, furthermore, this continuous movement ofthe rollers enables the said rollers to be continuously cleansed bymeans of suitable cleaning means arranged in continuous engagement withthe said rollers. The cleaning means here shown comprises a pad of felt28, or other yielding material, the same being carried by a platensuitably supported by the frame work, so that the felt will be kept inintimate engagement with the peripheries of the said rollers. Because ofthe foregoing arrangement the rollers 20 will in their revolution tendto clean, dry, and produce a preliminary ironing effect upon theadvancing filaments, and will themselves be continuously cleaned andwiped by the layer of felt. The said cleaning pad, together with theplaten, may be quickly removed. by removing the support, so that thecleansing means will itself be cleansed or replaced quickly withoutstopping the machine. For the purpose of easily and expeditiouslyeffecting the removal and replacement of the cleaning means, I haveprovided swinging catches 30, as shown in detailv in Fig. 5, which maybe swung clear of the platen when it is desired to release the same.These catches have cam surfaces 81, whereby the platen and cleaning padmay be forced forward so as to intimately engage the peripheries of thesaid rollers, as is desirable. Other forms of catches or supportingdevices may, of course, be employed.

An apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention may be operatedpractically continuously without the usual intermissions for cleaningpurposes, such as are generallynecessary in this class of machine, forthe members 20 will so cleanse, cry and initially iron the filaments asto prevent their fouling the table as heretofore. The rollers areself-cleaning, and, should their cleaning means require renewal as aboveexplained, such renewal or renovation may take place easily andexpeditiously while the machine is still running.

What I claim is:

.1. In a machine for finishing and lustering sill; filaments, thecombination with means for applying a finishing solution to thefilaments, and a heated contact member over which the said filaments arearranged to travel after such finishing solution has been appliedthereto, of means for imparting movements to the said heated contactmember relative with respect to the movements 1 of the filamentsthereover, whereby to polish the said filaments, and means for cleaningthe contact surface of the said member while the filaments are travelingthereover.

2. In machine for finishing and lustering silk filaments, thecombination with means for applying a finishing solution to thefilaments, and a heated contact member over which the said filaments arearranged to travel after such finishing solution has been appliedthereto, of means for imparting movements to the said heated contactmember in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of thefilaments thereover, whereby to polish the said filaments, and cleaningmeans engaging the contact surface of the said heated contact member,for cleaning the same while the filaments are traveling thereover.

3. In a machine for finishing and lustering silk filaments, thecombination with means for applying a finishing solution to thefilaments, of heated contact means over which the threads are arrangedto travel after such finishing solution has been. applied thereto, themovement of the said filaments over the said heated contact means beinga relative one with respect to portions of the contact surface thereof,with which the said filaments are engaging at the time, whereby the saidfilan'ients are polished, of means for engaging a portion of the saidheated contact means to cleanse the same while the filaments aretraveling thereover.

4. In a machine for finishing and lustering textile filaments, thecombination with a bath for containing a liquid in which the filamentsare to be innnerse-d and a stationary heated contact surface over whichthe filaments are arranged to travel, of a contact member over which thefilaments are arranged to pass, the said member located between the bathand the contact surface, and means for cleansing the surface of the saidcontact member.

5. In a machine for finishing and lustering textile filaments, thecombination with a bath for containing liquid in which the filaments areto be immersed, and a stationary heated contact surface over which thefilaznents are arranged to travel, of a roller over which the filamentswill travel, the said roller located between the bath and the contactsurface, and means for cleansing the periphery of the roller.

6. In a machine for finishing and lustering textile filaments, thecombination with a bath for containing a liquid in which the filamentsare to be immersed and a stationary heated contact surface over whichthe filaments are arranged to travel, of a moving heated contactsurface, located between the stationary heated contact surface and thebath, cleaning means for engagement with the surface of the said movingheated contact surface, and means for causing the said last named heatedcontact surface to move with respect to the cleaning means.

7. In a machine for finishing and lustering textile filaments, thecombination with a bath for containing liquid in which the filaments areto be immersed, and a stationary heated contact surface over which thefilaments are arranged to travel, of a heated roller over which thefilaments will travel located between the bath and the contact surface,means for rotating the roller differentially with respect to themovement of the filaments thereover, and means engaging the periphery ofthe roller to cleanse same.

8. In a machine for finishing and lustering textile filaments, thecombination with a bath for containing liquid in which the filaments areto be immersed, and a stationary heated contact surface over which thefilaments are arranged to travel, of a heated roller over which thefilaments will travel, located between the bath and the contact surface,means for rotating the roller differentially with respect to themovement of the filaments thereover, means engaging the periphery of theroller to cleanse same, and releasable supporting means for the saidcleaning means.

9. In a machine for finishing and lustering textile filaments, thecombination with a bath for containing liquid in which the filaments areto be immersed, and a stationary heated contact surface over which thefilaments are arranged to travel, of a heated roller over which thefilaments will travel, located between the bath and the contact surface,said roller arranged to rotate differentially with respect to themovement of the filaments thereover, a yielding pad in engagement withthe periphery of the roller for cleansing same, a stationary platen forsupporting said pad, and means for removably supporting said platen.

10. In a machine for finishing and lustering textile filaments, thecombination with a bath for containing liquid in which the filaments areto be immersed, and a stationary heated contact surface over which thefilaments are arranged to travel, of a plurality of heated rollers overwhich the filaments will travel, located between the bath and thecontact surface, means for rotating the rollers differentially withrespect to the movement of the filaments thereover, whereby the surfacethereof in contact with the threads will move with relation to the saidthreads, and means engaging the peripheries of the rollers to cleansesame.

11. In a machine for finishing and lustering textile filaments, thecombination with a bath for containing a liquid in which the lilamentsare to be immersed and a stationary heated contact surface over whichthe lilaments are arranged to travel, of a plurality of heated rollersarranged with their axes in a plane parallel with the heated contactsurface, and arranged between the heated con tact surface and the bath,the said filaments arranged to pass over all of the said rollers beforepassing on to the said heated surface, the said rollers arranged torotate differentially with respect to the movement of the said filamentsthereover, whereby the surface thereof in contact with the threads willmove with relation to the said. threads, and means engaging theperiphery of the rollers to cleanse them.

12. In a machine for finishing and lustering 1' xtile filaments, thecombination with a bath for containing liquid in which the filaments areto be immersed, and a stationary heated contact surface over which thefilaments are arranged to travel, of a plurality of heated rollersarranged with their axes in a plane parallel with the ieated contactsurface, and arranged between the heated contact surface and the bath,the said filaments pad arranged beneath. the said rollers, a

platen supporting said yielding; pad, and means for supporting saidplaten.

New York, N. Y., October 13th, 1905.

EDWARD POHL. lVitnesses D. HOWARD HAYWOOD, LYMAN S. ANDREWS, Jr.

